Thread cleaner



April 30, J WELT 1,711,434

THREAD CLEANER Filed Nov. 2, 1927 Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

' UNITED STATES 1,711,434 PATENT OFFICE JAMES B. WELTON', OFSCRAIYPIYON, PENNSYLVANIA.

THREAD CLEANER.

Application filed November 2, 1927. Serial No. 230,587.

. This invention relates to improvements in thread cleaners, and moreparticularly to a novel thread cleaner of the type employed to clean thethread as it is being Wound on a quill or bobbin, preparatory toweaving. The device is positive in its action in catching or removingsnarls, bad knots, wax, gum or' the like. i

Devices of this character'usually include a slotted element which may bein the form" of an integral slitted plate, or be made. up of opposingjaws spaced apart to provlde the slot or clearance through which thethread travels.

Both types have been found to have disadvantages in actual practice. Inthe integral plate type, separate plates must be employed for threads ofdifferent thicknesses, =while' the plate made up of two jaws, hasnotbeen entirely practical, owing to the fact that the movable jaw willloosen, due to the v1bration of the machines, and this will affect theoperation of the cleaner. Furthermore, the movable jaw type of cleanermay be readily tampered with by the operatorafter it has been properlyadjusted, and this also affects the operation of the cleaner.

The primary object of the present inven-' tionis'to provide a movablejaw type cleaner, in which the movable jaw may be positively locked inposition, a part of this locking be supporting rods of the machine, suchmeans permitting instantaneous detachment of the device when necessary.

A still further object is to furnish a cleaner of this type, in whichthe movable jaw may be readily adjusted by an authorized person, for thepurpose of taking care of threads of different thicknesses, and whichmay be expeditiously locked in position after an ad-' justment has beenmade.

With the foregoing objects outlined, and with other objects in Viewwhich will appear as the description proceeds, my inventionconsists inthe novel features hereinafter set forth in detail, illustrated in theaccompany ing drawing, and more particularly pointed out in'the appendedclaims. 7 Referring to'the drawings,

vice.

Fig. 2 is a front View of the same. Fig. 8 is a plan View, partly brokenaway. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the main I parts of the cleaner,shown apart from each other.

Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved de- In the drawings, 1 designatesthe usual supporting rod of the machine, and 2 a rear wardly extendingsupporting arm on the bracket 3. The arm 2 isprov'ided with asemi-cylindrical notch4, which embraces the rod 1, and is rigidly heldin contact With the rod by means of a clamp 5. This clamp is providedwith forwardly extending arms 6 terminating inflanges 7 which projecttoward one another. The distance between the flanges 7 is greater thanthe diameter of the rod 1, so that the clamp may be readily slipped overthe rod 1, and then be moved axially along the rod to grasp .the arm 2.A screw dis threaded inthe clamp, and is adapted to impinge against therod 1 for the i purpose of drawing the flanges 7 against the [surfaces 9of'the arm" 2, and in this way, to

force the surface of the notch 4 against the rod 1.

With a clamping device of this character,

the cleaner will remain in position indefinite,

ly after the screw has once been tightened, and yet, when one desires,the cleaner can rapidly be removed from the rod by simply loosening thescrew 8, and then moving the arm 2 axially of the rod, while the clamp 5remains in place. 1 c

The bracket3 hasan upwardly extending arm 10, and a downwardlyextending'arm 11. Each of these arms has an aperture to receive a screw12 which supports a porcelain thread guide 18 of; known construction."Nuts 14,

' secure the-screw, 12 in position.

The bracket also includes, as best shown in 4-, a forwardly extendingshelf 15 havmg a notch 16 in its central portion, and an upwardlyextending fiange'1'7'at one of its side edges. .The shelf has a verticalabutment 18 at its rear, which functions as a stop for the rear ends ofthe aws of the cl eanin plate, which will nowbe described.

This cleaning plate consists ofv a stationary jaw 19, and a movablej aw20. Each jaw has parallel upper and lower surfaces, and parallel sideedges, and the innerend of. each jaw is provided with a threadrec'eiving and jaws converge to facilitate the introduction of thethread into the clearance space between the inner edges of the jaws, andinto the notches 21.

The movable jaw also has two threaded apertures 24; for a purposehereinafter described.

In assembling the device, the stationary jaw is first placed on theshelf with its outer edge abutting the inner surface of the flange 17,and its rear end engaging the abutment 18, and its notch 22 engaging ashort upwardly extending post 25, fixed on the shelf 15.

The movable aw may then be placed on v the shelf with its notch 22 inengagement with the post 25.

It is obvious that the movable aw may be moved into substantial contactwith the sta tionary jaw, or be slid laterally on theshelf in theopposite direction, as there is no flange similar to the flange 17 onthe other edge of the shelf to prevent such lateral movement.

Consequently, after all of the parts are assembled, the movable jaw maybe adjusted without dismantling the structure.

The shelf and jaws cooperate with a keeper 26 which includes a plate 27having downwardly extending legs 28, terminating {in ledges 29 whichproject toward each other. After the jaws have been placed on the shelf,this keeper may be slid rearwardly on to the shelf, and when its rearend abuts the arm 10 of the bracket, a slot 30 in the keeper will be'inalignment with the slot 16 of the shelf, and both slots will registerwith the clearance spacebetween the jaws.

The leg 28 of the keeper has a pairof threaded apertures 31 to receivespecial screws 32-which can only be turned by a special tool for thepurpose of causing the inner ends of the screws to impinge against theflange 17 of the shelf. When these screws are tightened, they cause theinner surface of the leg 28 to abut against the unflanged edge of theshelf, as shown at 33. In this way, the keeper is locked on the shelf.

Three screws 3e, 35 and 36,similar to the 7 screws 32, are employed tolock the jaws in position, and these screws also assist in locking thekeeper in place as they function to draw the ledges 29 against the underside of the shelf 15. v 1

One of the legs 28 of the keeper has a threaded aperture 37, and a pairof unthreaded apertures 38. Screws 39 pass throughthe unt-hreadedapertures and are threaded into the holes 24: of the movablejaw, andthey function in the adjustment of the jaw and also prevent the jaw fromaccidentally detaching itself from the keeper. A screw 40 passes throughthe hole 37, and impinges against the outer side edge of the jaw 20, toalso assist in looking that j awin position.

It will be understood that when the screw 36 is loosened, the screws 39and 40 may be used to adjust the movable jaw into any new position, andthen the screw 36 may be tightened to again lock the jaw in place.

In operation, the thread 41 is cleaned during its passage from a bobbinto a quill, and in such passage, the thread moves first through theupper guide 13, then through slot 30, the clearance space between thejaws, slot 16, and the lower guide 13, and as it contacts with the inneredges of the jaws, any loose fuzz or excess wax, gum or the like, willbe scraped off. Furthermore, if a knot is cncountered, the thread willbreak, and then the operator may remove the defect, tie the clean endstogether, and continue the winding operation. The material rubbed ofi'the thread, due to the back and forth movement of the thread inunwinding from the bobbin, will cause the material removed from thethread to feed toward the cleaning notches 21 "through which it will beautomatically disexpressed in the claims.

Whatl claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

' 1. In a thread cleaner, a bracket having a slotted shelf, a stationaryjaw mounted on the shelf, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the shelfandv adapted'to be moved in a path at right angles to the slot of theshelf, toward and away from the stationary aw to provide a clearancespace in alignment with said slot, said movable jaw having parallel sideedges and means'for locking the jaws in position.

2. In a thread cleaner, a bracket having a slotted shelf and a fixedpost, a stationary jaw removably. mounted on the shelf and having anotch engaging said post, a movable jaw slidablymounted. on the shelfand having a clearance space to accommodate said post,

and means for locking saidjaws in position on the shelf. V

3. In a thread cleaner, a brackethaving a slotted supporting shelf, astationary jaw and a movable jaw mounted on said shelf, a keeperdetachably mounted on the shelf, and means cooperating with the keeperto lock the keeper to the shelf and to lock the jaws in position.

4. A thread cleaner comprising a bracket having a slotted supportingshelf, stationary and movable jaws carried by theshelf, a keeperslidably mounted on the shelf, and

means cooperating with the keeper to lock the latter to the shelf and tolook the jaws in position.

5. In a thread cleaner, a bracket having a shelf, stationary and movablejaws carried by the shelf, a keeper cooperating with the shelf, meansfor locking the keeper on the shelf, and means cooperating with thekeeper for adjusting the movable jaw.

6. In a thread cleaner, a bracket having a supporting shelf provided atone edge only with a flange, a stationary jaw mounted on the shelf andabutting against said flange, a movable jaw slidably mounted on theshelf, a keeper detachably connected to the shelf, the keeper and shelfbeing slotted topermit the passage of a thread, means for locking thekeeper on the shelf and the jaws in position, and means cooperating withthe keeper to permit adjustment of the movable jaw without removal ofthe keeper.

7 In a thread cleaner, a bracket having a stationary shelf provided witha slot and a flange, a flat stationary jaw removably mounted on theshelf and engaging said flange, a flat movable jaw mounted on the shelfand slidalole rectilinearly transversely of the shelf in a path arrangedperpendicularly to the slot, and means for locking the jaws to theshelf.

8. In a thread cleaner, a bracket having a slotted supporting shelf, astationary jaw removably mounted on the shelf, an adjustable jawslidably mounted on the shelf and movable in a path at right angles tothe slot of the shelf, the adjustable jaw having parallel side edges,and means for locking said jaws in position.

9. Ina thread cleaner, a slotted bracket having a stationary shelfprovided at one side edge with an upwardly extending flange, astationary jaw mounted on the shelf and abutting against said flange, amovable jaw slidably mounted on the shelf, means for moving the lastmentioned jaw in a path arranged at right angles to said slot, and meansfor locking the jaws in position on the shelf.

JAMES R WELTON.

